1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oil-spill-combatting water craft of the type provided with at least one boom or the like protruding forwards and outwards from the water craft, at least one conduit inside the water craft and having its inlet and outlet being most suitably situated on the side of the water craft, the end of the boom being secured next to the inlet in such a way that, when the water craft travels on water, the boom directs surface water into the said conduit, in which, furthermore, there are fitted means for separating the inflowing water from the oil present in it.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In water craft in which oil-contaminated water is directed to inside the water craft by means of a boom, it is known to separate oil from the water by means of large-sized pumps. These arrangements have, however, a disadvantage in their relatively expensive structure and their low capacity. One improvement to this is, for example, the device presented in U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,569, in accordance with the preceding preamble, in which booms situated on the two sides of a water craft are used to direct oil-containing water into conduits situated on both sides of the craft. Oil is recovered by means of a moving belt which extends partly under the water and to which the oil adheres.
One of the disadvantages of this known system is that, when traveling at a suitable speed and on calm sea, this known device will probably work in the desired manner, but on rougher sea the waves and breakers will substantially disturb through-flow in the conduit. Depending on the travel speed and the quantity of the oil, it is also possible that there will still be oil in the water discharging from the conduit.